Irrational Fear
by EvilsApprentice
Summary: Edward Nashton's father is worried, so he sends him to a shrink. Dr. Johnothan Crane is intrigued by the young boy's irrational fear of being inadiquate. Oneshot.


Hello, all.

This story was inspired by the interview tapes of Batman: Arkham Asylum the video game. If you've never played it, stop reading right now, go to a store, buy an XBox360 and get on with it! It's brilliance, I tell you, pure brilliance. But enough with the comercial stuff. In Arkham Asylum, Scarecrow seems to be portrayed as an older man, at least forty or fifty. Still spry, but not too young. At least, that's how he sounds to me. Eddy-poo, on the other hand, strikes me as an arrogant youngin', no more than late twenties early thirties, so I hope this makes sense.

It's my very own origin story! Yay me!

_

Dr. Crane: Patient interview one, January 1st, 1991. Subject's name is Edward Nashton, age eleven. Good morning, Edward.

Edward: Call me Eddy, everyone does.

Dr. Crane: Eddy, then. How are you feeling this morning?

Edward: Frustrated.

Dr. Crane: Do you know why your father brought you in here?

Edward: Yes.

Dr. Crane: Would you care to tell me?

Edward: You already know. Don't you?

Dr. Crane: I'd like to hear it… in your own words.

Edward: He thinks I have a problem.

Dr. Crane: What is this problem?

Edward: He thinks I'm a chronic liar.

Dr. Crane: What would make him think that?

Edward: … because I lie, of course.

Dr. Crane: Often?

Edward: I suppose…

Dr. Crane: What do you lie about?

Edward: Oh… plenty of things.

Dr. Crane: Why is your father concerned? All children lie sometimes.

Edward: I'm _not_ a child.

Dr. Crane: My apologies, Eddy.

Edward: It's quite alright. He's concerned because… lately, I've been winning a lot of money. In contests. At school, in town. Logic contests. Riddle contests. Writing contests. Math contests.

Dr. Crane: He believes that means you're cheating. Am I right?

Edward: Yes.

Dr. Crane: Eddy, does your father ever hit you?

Edward: …he does.

Dr. Crane: How often?

Edward: When I lie.

Dr. Crane: About what?

Edward: Cheating.

Dr. Crane: Oh, so you tell him you aren't cheating.

Edward: Yes.

Dr. Crane: Do you cheat?

Edward: Yes.

Dr. Crane: Can't you figure these contests out for yourself? Why do you feel the need to cheat?

Edward: I don't. I cheat because I can. Because I'm smart enough to.

Dr. Crane: I appreciate how honest you're being with me.

Edward: I'm in here for lying. I won't lie about lying, that's just stupid.

Dr. Crane: Stupid, hm?

Edward: Yes.

Dr. Crane: I can see that you're very… opinionated about what is smart and stupid.

Edward: Because I know. I'm smart, my father is stupid. He hits me because he knows that's the only way he can beat me. Physically. It's a cowardly thing to do. I'm small, he's big.

Dr. Crane: I see. When you say you're smart…

Edward: Genius.

Dr. Crane: You seem very self-assured. Why do you feel the need to be smarter than others? Is it because you're afraid? Insecure?

Edward: I'm not scared. I just think it's right that they should know how clever I am.

Dr. Crane: You need them to know.

Edward: … I guess.

Found in Dr. Jonathan Crane's patient records.

Edward Nashton checked out of Arkham Asylum two hours later.

His father returned with him on January 9th, claiming Edward had been, quote, 'Raving like a madman' since he last left Arkham.

Dr. Crane: Patient interview 2, January 9th 1991. Patient name, Edward Nashton. Hello again, Eddy.

Edward: Don't call me Eddy! It's childish.

Dr. Crane: You told me in our last session that you preferred Eddy over Edward.

Edward: Don't look at me with that patronizing glare, Doctor. I'll have you know I am ten times…

Dr. Crane: Edward? You phased out for a moment.

Edward: What am I doing here?

Dr. Crane: You were just saying that I was patronizing you.

Edward: Really? I don't… remember.

Dr. Crane: Hm. Well, Edward, I can see that we're making some progress in what deep-seated fear makes you so eager to prove your worth.

Edward: I told you to call me Eddy.

Dr. Crane: That you did.

Edward Nashton checked out of Arkham one hour later.

His father was arrested by the Child Protective Services the following year.

Edward Nashton was sent to live with relatives in Gotham.

In Dr. Crane's case study, the following was stated:

Subject reacts strongly to medicine I prescribed; it's interesting, instead of seeing his fears as physical beings manifesting themselves around him and blurring out all reason, his senses are instead heightened. I believe that since his greatest fear is of being inferior, he sees the world just as it is; a threat to his superiority. I provided him with an antidote in the midst of our last meeting, and before he left I gave him another dose of medicine. I will not give him another antidote, I intend on following up his case privately to see where his fears lead him.


End file.
